shaffer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. W. C.l SI-IAI'I'ER 8u J. L. PCALK.

ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINE.

No. 888,288. m8811888 088. 7, 1884.

W f8.8. 88% Q82; l

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(No Model.) 2 sneetssheet 2.

W. C. SHAPEBR au J. L. POALK.

ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINE- No. 806,288. Patented Oat. '7, 1884.

Il'NiTfEn STATES PATENT rricn..

WILLIAM C. SHAFFER AND J. LAN POALK, OF PHILADLPHIA, PA.

ELECTRIC SEWINGBMACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 306,288, dated October 7, 1884.

Application tiled February 6, 1884.

To all whom, it malz/ concerm- Be it known that we, WM. C. SHAFFER and J. LANE PoALK, citizens of the United States, and residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to sewingmachines; and it consists in means, hereinafter fullyy described, whereby the usual movements are imparted directly to the different parts by the action of electricity without the use ofthe usual multiplicity of gears, connectingrods, and other appliances which result in friction and lost motion.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing-machine having a revolving hook, and illustrating our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the shuttle and feed-operating devices of a straight-race machine, showing our invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another form of machine embodying our invention. Fig. L is an enlarged transverse section throughl the shuttle-plate of the machine shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 3, looking from the end.

The general features of the invention consist in the use, in a sewing-machine, of one or more electromotors combined with the needle-bar,

shuttle driver or feed, or with each of them,'

in such manner that such. parts are directly operated from electric currents without the aid of shafts, gears, or intermediate devices.

It will be obvious that according to the character of the machine to be operated the operating motors will be differently constructed, connected, and arranged. Thus in a machine employing a revolving hook, a, Fig. l, as in the Vheeler d* IVilson and VillcoX & Gibbs machines, the revolving armature of an electromotor, B, carries the hookupon its shaft I), and a crank-pin, c, upon the revolving armature of an electric motor, B3, enters a slot in the cross-piece e of the needle-bar D and reciprocates the latter. In such a machine the rotating shaft b will move the feed-operating devices as in the machines above referred to.

In machines employing shuttles reciprocat- (No modcl ing in straight races or i-n straight paths the cradle E of the shuttle d, Fig. 2, is carried by an arm or rod, F, connected to the soft-iron cores of a solenoid-motor, B, consisting, preferably, of two coils, arranged in line, as shown.v

A preferable construction where a reciproeating shuttle is used is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, where the shuttle d is carriedby a cradle at the upper end of a pivoted carrier, E, as in many machines in use, the shuttle sliding on a vertical faceplate, F', eX- tending downward from the bed-'plate G of the machine, and the carrier-armE being pivoted by a pin, e', to the side of said plate. 'Ihe carrier is oscillated by the reciprocation of a bar, F, carrying two soft-iron cores, ff', which extend into solenoids B B', the latter and the cores being relatively so arranged that a current through the coils of one solenoid will carry the bar F in one direction, an opposite movement being made when the current passes to the coils of the other solenoid.l The connection between the bar F and the carrier-arm E is by means of a pin, g, which enters a slot in the bar, and by arranging this pin near'the pivot e the requisite throw of the shuttle is secured with a comparatively small movement of the bar.

In Fig. 2 the feed-bar k is shown as carrying two armatures, m m, and arranged to be reciprocated by the alternate action of two electro-magnets, J J. XVe prefer, however, to operate the feed from some. part of the shuttlc-moving appliances. An arrangement for effecting this result is shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5, where the feed consists of two pivoted levers, LL', the lower swinging on, the pin c', and the upper connected to a feedplate, M, pivoted at w to a plate, N, arranged to slide beneath the work-plate G. A nut, Z, on the pin e presses a split washer, a, against the lever L, to create a slight friction at this point, so that side pressure in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, upon the end of the lever L', which extends down below the pivot c, will tend first to bring the two' levers into line and raise the claw of the feed-plate, and then, when the lever L comes in contact with a stop, p, on the lever L, will carry both levers so as to `slide the claw forward andmcve ISO ' tle.

' will pass from lug r,

the work upon the worlcplate o. This movement ofthe levers is eiliected by the contact of a set-screw, q, carried by the shuttle-can rier E, with a lug, fr, on the end ofthe lever L. As the carrier-arm E approaches its position to the left, the end of the set-screw q is brought against the lug r, and thc feed is effected at the termination of the movement of the shut As the arm moves to the right, a lng, s, thereon strikes the lug` r and swings the lever L on its pivot until it strikes a lug, t, on the lever L, thereby lowering the iced-claw, thc levers L L then being carried to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, when the lug s leaving the feed-levers in position while the movement of the arm lll is continued. By this arrangement the same electric motor moves both the shuttle and i'eed.

It will be obvious that any other suitable feed device may be employed, and that any available connections between the motor and feed may be made use of.

The ncedlebar carries the soltiron core D cfa solenoid, which is divided into two sections, B B", the action of one ol which is to raise the core and the other to draw it down, thereby imparting the desired vertical reciprocating motion. l t is necessary to carry the needle to its lowest position, then raise it slightly to forni the side loop, then hold it momentarily while the shuttle enters the loop, and then to carry it upward. llo secure these movements a spring, m, is so arranged as to be struck by a shoulder or projection on the bar I) as the needle approaches the limit el" its lower motion, the spring being thereby connnessed, and the current through the coil is then cut oit' so that the spring can act to lift the bar and its needle slightly after they reach the lowest point, the parts remaining` in this position until the upper solenoid receives a current, when they will be raised until the needle passes 'from the cloth.

Any suitable switch arrangement may be employed to throw the currents in proper order through the solenoids. rlhus when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5 the solenoids l l" ot' the needle-bar are neutral, but the solenoid B o1' the shuttle mechanism excited and the shuttle is being carried to the lei't. W' hen the shuttle .reaches its position to the left, the upper solenoid, B, of the needle-bar is excited and the needle is raised and remains lifted until the solenoid B of the shuttle device is excited,wl1en the shuttle will be carried to the right, after which the lower solenoid, l, of the needle-arm will be excited and the needle will descend.

It will be noticed that there is a time when the needle-arm is absolutely at rest and when the shuttle-arm is practically so.. It all parts were to cease their movements at one time, it would be impossible without manipulation to continue the operation of the machine. lVe therefore arrange the switches or connections so that the moving part will always be the means of exciting the soleneids et' the part which is at rest. One of the many different arrangements that may be used for effecting this is shown, the wire connections beingI shown, for distinctness of illustration, as carried directly between the parts; but it will ol' course be understood that they are in practice concealed in the frame of the machine. The hub of the shuttle-arm carries a plate, fe', which, when in contact with two spi'inglingers, il. 2 completes the circuit, inchuling the upperncedlc-bar solenoid f, the needle being` thus raised after the shuttle is carried through the loop, and being held in suspension until the shnttlc-arm moves back, when another plate, a, is brought into contact with two other spring-fingers, 3 et, and completes the circuit, including the solenoid 1B, when the needle, is carried downward. As it is not desirable .for the current to act to keep the needle in ils lowest position, in order that the s} n'iiigm11iay li't it slightly, the plate a is notched, so that the finger 3 shall have only a momentary contact therewith, sul'iicicnt onlyto insure the descent of the needle, the current being then broken andthe spring li i'tingthc needle slightly to the position shown. `\Vhen the needle reaches its lowest position, a project-ion, 5, on the upper end ot' the bar enters between two iingers, (i 7, and completes the circuit, including the solenoid l, when the shuttle will bc thrown tothe left, and when the nccdle-bar rises a projection, S, on the lower end enters between fingers i) l0 and completes the circuit, including the solenoid il', and the shuttlc is thrown to the right. ly this means absolute precision in the relations ol the movements of the parts is secured, as one cannot 1 move until the other has attained the proper position. lt will be apparent, however, that where a flywheel is connected to the parts, which may be done to secure less abrupt action, the switch devices can be carried by any revolving or continuously-moving part ol" the machine, and all the parts may remain at rest at one time, il' necessary.

l t will be evident that polarized or soft-iron cores maybe used with the solenoids, the latter being correspondingly conneetedto insure proper action. It will also be evident that the operatingcurrents maybe derived from any suitable generator.

`\Vithout limiting ourselves to the construe tion and arrangement of parts described, we claiml. rlhe combination, with ascwing-inachine, of two or more electric motors, each connected. to operate directly one of the workingpzn'ls of the machine, and means to operate circuit. breakers to insure movements of such part in unison with the others and the continued more ment of the machine, as set forth.

2. The combi nation, with the dilterent working parts ci' a sewing-machine, of electric n1otors, each connected to operate directly one ol' TIO the parts, and devices operated from moving partsof the machine for 'causing the various motors to operate in unison and the machine to continue vits motion, substantially as de scribed.

v 8. A sewing-machine provided with one or more electric motors connected directly with the parts to be operated, and switches and operating 4appl ian ces connected to be operated by parts moved by the motors,` whereby the movement of each part is caused in proper` time with that of the other parts, and is positively arrested and resumed, substantially as set forth.. v

f-i. The combination, with the working parts of a sewing-machine, of an electric motor arranged to operate the needle-bar, an electric motor arranged to operate the shuttle, and switches and connections operated by movingv parts ot' the machine, whereby the parts are moved in proper relation to each other, subi stantially as described.

5. The combination of the electric motor actuating directly the needle-bar in both directions, and the electric motor actuating directly the shuttle in both directions, and connections whereby the movement of one of the parts is the means of completing the circuit,

including the motor actuating the other part,

substantially as set forth.

6. rlhe combination, with the needle-bar, of an electric motor for operating the same directly, and means for breaking the circuit during the time the needle-bar is to remain at rest and during the movement ot' the shuttle, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the needle-bar and electric motor, of devices for breaking the mof tor-circuit, and means for lifting the bar to a limited extent when the current is broken,

substantially as described. Y

8. The combination, with the needle-bar of a sewing-machine, of an electro-magnet ar.- ranged and operating to directly reciprocate the same, and means whereby the movement is varied to form the loop at the side of the needle,- substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the needle-bar, shuttle or looper, and feed device of a sewingmachine, of actuating-magnets arranged to impart direct movements to said parts and con` 

